Black Friday puts Iron Bowl in its shopping bag

KATE MERCER/Press-RegisterEarly shoppers pack Bama Fever Tiger Pride at Spanish Fort's Eastern Shore Centre this morning, hours before the Iron Bowl kicked off this afternoon.SPANISH FORT, Ala. -- Just after noon at the Eastern Shore Centre shopping mall, Laura Andrews of Daphne packed up her daughter and mother in her red Dodge Durango.

Its rear windows were filled with bags from Bed, Bath & Beyond, Belk and other stores.

"I'm done, and we're heading home before the game starts," Andrews said before closing the door and driving away. "For us this year, it was just a matter of getting started early and not stopping."

Shoppers and retailers today said the Alabama-Auburn game -- that kicked off at 1:30 p.m. -- was easily made a part of what is usually one of the year's busiest shopping days.

In Mobile, the Bel Air Mall staff decided to give shoppers a chance to catch the game without leaving.

Early this morning, they set up about 40 folding chairs in front of a flat screen TV near Dillard's with a sign telling folks that the Iron Bowl would be broadcast from the location.

On Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile, the game brought a larger-than-usual crowd to Heroes Sports Bar and Grille, said David Rasp, the restaurant's owner.

"Traditionally, Iron Bowl hasn't been a huge day for us here because people generally have parties," Rasp said. "But this year, the game was held on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which threw off people's habits. Maybe that worked to our advantage."